Device for use in connection with defrosting refrigerators



Jan. 4, 1949. w, TAFT 2,457,851

DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH DEFROSTING REFRIGERATORS Filed 001;. 16, 1944 Bnnentor MiZ' /W ZMffw Patented Jan. 4, 1949 DEVICE FOR usam narnos'rmo n CONNECTION WITH armoaaa'roas Irving w. Taft, Weehawken Township, mm County, N. 1., assignor to Kidde- Manufacturing (30., Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1944, Serial No. 558,829

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to refrigeration, and more particularly to a device for use in connection with defrosting refrigerators.

Mechanical refrigerators of the household typ have a refrigerating unit in the upper portion of the cabinet which must be defrosted from time to time. Usually, a shallow pan is located beneath the refrigerating unit for collecting water and ice from the refrigerating unit during the defrosting thereof. I

One of the difliculties encountered in defrosting refrigerators of the foregoing character is that the amount of water and ice, which eventually melts, may exceed the capacity of the pan, whereby, unless the refrigerator is attended during the defrosting thereof, the water may overflow and.

wet the interior of the refrigerator and the contents thereof, and then flow from the refrigerator onto the floor. Another objection is that the pan when substantially filled with water is difficult to remove from the refrigerator without spillin illustrative embodiment about to be described. or will be indicated in the appended claims, and

' various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Figure 1' is a perspective view of a device, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 21s a fragmentary side elevational view of the interior of a refrlgerator'showing the de vice in use.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view illustrating the positioning of the device while in use.

water therefrom, The overflowing or spilling of water from the pan makes additional work, whereby defrosting of the refrigerator becomes an unpleasant task for the housewife.

The present invention aims to overcome the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages by providing a device for use in connection with defrosting refrigerators which eliminates overflowing of the pan and makes removal of the'pan while filled with water unnecessary. In accordance with the invention, this is accomplished by slowly siphoning the water from the pan and collecting the water in a receptacle which is adapted to receive all era substantial portion of the water collected by the pan and is adapted to be readily removed from the refrigerator for emptying.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective device for use in connection with defrosting refrigerators.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive and durable device for use in connection, with defrosting refrigerators which is readily stored in a small space when not in use.

A further object is to provide a device for accomplishing the foregoing which is maintained in a desired position during use thereof, thereby to function with maximum efliclency.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding oi the Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, there is,

shown a device It) adapted for use in connection with defrosting refrigerators. The device comprises a wick member or strip i I having any suitably shaped cross-section, for example, rectangular as shown herein, or circular, if desired. The wick member I I is formed of woven or braided strands of fibers, or of felt or other material adapted to absorb liquid by capillary attraction and adapted to conduct the liquid from one receptacle to another receptacle at a lower level by siphon-like action. In order to obtain the best results, the wick member should be free from sizing materials or the likewhich may deter its liquid absorbing or transuding qualities.

' In Figure 2, the device is shown as used in connection with defrosting a refrigerator, For purposes of illustration the refrigeration comprises a cabinet It, a refrigerating unit It located in the upper portion of the cabinet, and a pan or shallow receptacle l1 beneath the unit it for collecting water and ice therefrom during defrosting thereof. One end of the wick member II is bent over the side wall of the pan and is inserted into the liquid therein, while the other end of the wick member extends downwardly into a second receptacle it supported on a shelf below the pan. The receptacle I! may be of any suitable size and preferably is of such shape to facilitate handling thereof when fllled'with liquid.

In order to position and retain the wick member as shown, the wick member is provided with supporting means which may be in the form of 3 a weight member such as a clip or ferrule secured adjacent or substantially at one end of the wick member. The weight member serves to retain one end of the wick member in the bottom of the pan and prevents the wick member from falling into the lower receptacle l9 due to the weight of the wick member when it has absorbed liquid.

Additional supporting means may be provided in the form of a clip or ferrule 2i secured to the wick member adjacent to but spaced from the clip 20 which .has a hook-shaped portion 22 adapted to be fitted over the lip of the pen I! as shown in Figure 3. The hook-shaped portion 22 extends the width of the clip 2! and thereby serves as a shield to prevent liquid from dripping from the wick at the bend and flowing along'the side wall of the pan.

Adjacent or at the other end of the wick member a weight member in the form of a clip or ferrule 24 is secured, which serves to maintain the depending portion of the wick member substantially perpendicular as shown in Figure 2.

The clip members 2G, 2i and 25 may beformed of any suitable material, such as plastic compounds or metal having noncorrosive surfaces. Also, if desired, the clips may be removably attached to facilitate positioning them on the wick member as required and to permit attachment thereof to a new wick member.

The device also may be provided with supporting means for supporting the wick member when not in use. Such means may constitutean aperture 25 through the clip 2d and the wick member which facilitates hanging the device from a nail or the like while being stored. It will be understood that other forms of supporting means for this purpose could be utilized.

In operation, the device is arranged as illustrated and described in connection with Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing herein. The clip it maintains the upper end of the wick member imniersed in the liquid while the clip 26 maintains the depending portion of the wick member in perpendicular position. The hook-shaped portion 22 serves to support the device on the pan and prevents accidental displacement thereof during its use.

The portion A of the wick member substantially between theclips 20 and 2! draws liquid upwardly by capillary attraction, and when this portion is soaked with liquid the liquid transudes through the depending portion B of the wick member and drips into the receptacle it. In this manner the liquid is slowly siphoned from the pan ii to the receptacle in.

In order to hasten the commencement of the siphoning action, the wick member may be soaked in water rior to arranging the same in the refrigerator as shown. The siphoning action also may be accelerated by placing a; small quantity of wetting agent in the pan II.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and effective device for use in connection with defrosting refrigerators with a minimum amount of care and labor, manufacture and can be sold to the ultimate user at a small cost. The device is rugged in construction and can readily withstand the usage to which it is subjected.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages. it is to be understood that all The device is inexpensive to matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising an elongated wick member, and a clip member on said wick member between the ends thereof having a portion extending about said wick member for securing said clip member to said wick member and having a U-shaped portion of greater .width than said wick member adapted to be positioned over the side wall of a receptacle and serving as a support for a bent portion of said wick member extending over the same and serving as a shield to prevent liquid dripping from said wick member at the bent portion thereof.

2. An article of manufacture comprising an elongated wick member rectangular in crosssection and having a greater width than thickness, and a clip member on said wick member between the ends thereof having a portion formed with a rectangular aperture for receiving said wick member and secured to said wick member and having a U-shaped portion of greater width than said wick member adapted to be positioned over the side wall of a receptacle and serving as a support for a bent portion of said wick member extending over the same and serving as a shield to prevent liquid dripping from said wick member at the bent portion thereof.

3. An article of manufacture comprising an elongated wick member, a clip member on said wick member between the ends thereof having a portion extending about said wick member for securing said clip member to said wick member and'having a U-shaped portion of greater width than said wick member adapted to be positioned over the side wall of a receptacle and serving as a support for a bent portion of said wick member extending over the same and serving as a shield to prevent liquid dripping from said wick member at the bent portion thereof, and a clip member extending about and secured to said wick member adjacent one end thereof serving as weight means.

4. An article of manufacture comprising an elongated wick member, a clip member on said wick member between the ends thereof having a portion extending about said wick member for securing said clip member to said wick member and having a U-shaped portion of greater width than said wick member adapted to be positioned over the side wall of a receptacle and serving as a support for a bent portion of said wick member extending over the same and serving as a shield to prevent liquid dripping from said. wick member at the bent portion thereof, and a clip member extending about and secured to said wick member adjacent each end thereof serving as weight means.

5. An article of manufacture comprising an elongated wick member, a clip member on said wick member between the ends thereof having a portion extending about said wick member for securing said clip member to said wick member and having a U-shaped portion of greater width than said wick member adapted to be positioned over the side wall of a receptacle and serving as a support for a bent portion of $457,: 5 e I c said wick member extending over the same and REFERENCES CITED serving as a. shield to prevent liquid dripping f win meme "co from said wick member at the bent portion m f 8 patent; m of M m the thereof, and a. clip member extending about and secured to said wick member adjacent each end 5 Um sTAm'PATENTs thereof serving as weight means. one or 'said Number Name Date clip members having an aperture extending 179345 muscmusan June 37, 1875 therethrough and an aperture in said wick mem- 200,096 smith 1878 her in registry with the aperture in the clip 10 $13 223 f member. I

76,523 Burrows Jan. 14, 1908 IRVING 1563330 Lundgaard Jam-5, 192s 627,734 Gazava May 10, 1927 2,131,700 Whiteley Sept. 27, 1938 15 2,232.94! Blood et ai Dec. 3, 1940 

